Solar powered toy boat



A ril 14, 1959 BELL 2,881,558

SOLAR POWERED TOY BOAT Filed July 19, 1957 INYENTOR Keith L. Bell ATTORNEY United rates Patent SOLAR POWERED TOY BOAT KeithL. Bell, Washington, D.C., assignor of one-fifth to James Atkins, one-fifth to Benjamin P. Fishburne, Jr., and one-fifth to Robert C. Sullivan, all of Washington, D.C.

Application July 19, 1957, Serial No. 673,011

10 Claims. (Cl. 46-95) The present invention relates to a solar powered water craft.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a toy aquatic device or boat which utilizes the heat of the sun for propelling the same in a novel and simplified manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a solar powered boat or the like including propulsion means embodying an element which moves under the influence of concentrated rays of the sun for propelling the boat in the water.

A further and more specific object is to provide a toy boat having lens means for concentrating the rays of the sun upon a movable flexure element which is sensitive to temperature changes and adapted to move in a manner for causing the toy boat to be propelled in the water.

A further object is to provide a solar powered boat which employs the reciprocating reaction effect of a water column as a fluid piston drawn to propel the boat in a pulsating manner.

Another object is to provide a toy boat having novel and simplified steering means, and also means to produce a sound simulating the sound of a motorboat.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide a toy boat of simplified and durable construction, and one which is inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a perspective View of a solar powered toy boat in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the boat, partly broken away and partly in section.

Figure 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the boat propulsion means.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a cluster of lenses utilized in a modification of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, the numeral 10 designates generally a float body portion, which may be conveniently formed as the body or hull of a toy boat. The hull 10 may be formed of any desired material, such as plastics material, sheet metal and the like. The shape of the hull or body portion 10 may be modified as desired, and the body portion may even be shaped to simulate a water fowl, mammal, fish or the like, Without departing from the scope of the invention.

The bottom 11 of the hull 10 is preferably formed to provide a centrally located upstanding cylindrical sleeve portion 12, integral with the hull bottom 11 and being open at its top and bottom ends and terminating a substantial distance below the top wall 13 of the hull 10.

The sleeve portion 12 is preferably provided at its upper end with an inwardly directed annular flange 14 forming an annular shoulder. The sleeve portion 12 is arranged near the longitudinal center of the hull 10 and at its transverse center, as shown.

Mounted within the sleeve portion 12 is a relatively shallow cylindrical pan-like receptacle 15, open at its top, and having a bottom wall 16 spaced somewhat above the bottom 11 of the hull. In the completed device, the top of the receptacle 15 is covered in an air tight manner by a circular disc 17, suitably rigidly secured to the top of the receptacle 15 at the marginal edge of the disc.

The disc 17 is a multi-material or bi-material element, embodying plural thicknesses of plural dissimilar materials having different coeflicients of expansion and contraction. Preferably, the disc 17 is a bi-metal disc of this character.

The receptacle 15 may be formed of sheet metal, in which case the bi-metal disc 17 may be soldered or welded at its periphery to the top of the receptacle to form an air tight joint. The receptacle 15 may also be formed of plastics material, or the like, in which case the margin of the disc 17 will be secured to the top of the receptacle by a suitable hardenable sealing compound. The disc 17 may also be formed of other materials than metal, for example, it may be formed from thicknesses of certain sheet plastics materials having different thermal coefficients of expansion and contraction. If the disc 17 and receptacle 15 are both formed of plastics material, they may be suitably fused or sealed together at the margin of the disc, or secured together with moisture-proof cement or the like.

The assembly of the receptacle 15 and disc 17 have a Water tight pressed fit within the sleeve portion 12, and the marginal edge portion of the disc 17 preferably tightly engages the annular flange 14, as shown. A suitable sealing composition may be employed between the receptacle 15 and sleeve portion 12 if desired, in order to further inhibit the passage of water around the receptacle and into the interior of the hull 10.

The bottom wall 16 of the receptacle 15 has centrally connected therein a short upstanding extension 18 of a horizontal longitudinal propulsion tube 19, which tube extends rearwardly along the bottom of the hull and is preferably arranged within a longitudinal groove 20 formed in the bottom of the hull. The tube extension 18 is connected with the wall 16 in a liquid tight and air tight manner.

The propulsion tube 19 terminates near the rear end of the hull 10, and in order to facilitate steering the toy boat, the rear terminal portion of the tube 19 is formed of material which may be readily bent in the desired direction and which will retain its shape when bent, as indicated at 20. The tube portion 20 may be formed of flexible tubing such as that used for coupling the air and steam lines of railroad equipment or the like.

Means is provided to focus the rays of the sun upon the bi-metallic disc 17 when the same is in the upwardly flexed condition shown in broken lines in Figure 4. Such means may comprise a thick optical lens 21 of glass or plastics material, adjustably mounted within a grommet 22 of rubber or rubber-like material. The grommet 22 is mounted in gripping engagement with the margin of a circular opening 23 formed centrally in the top wall 13 of the hull directly above the sleeve portion 12, and concentric therewith. The lens 21 has a short focal length, and the focal point of the lens is at the bimetallic disc 17 when the latter is in the upwardly flexed condition. That is to say, within limitations of the position of the sun on the horizon, the rays of the sun will always be concentrated by the lens 21 at some point upon v th isc 17 when h si e s flexed upw dly and ll P nt upon the upwardly flexed disc are coincident with the focal point of the lens for various positions of the sun relat e t he t y b a T en 1 may be a j somewhat within the grommet 22 to accurately focus the sunfs rays upon the disc 17. The arrangement is such that the lens 21 may be readily removed from the grommet for cleaning and the like.

With the construction shown, the propulsion means for the boat, including the receptacle 15, disc 17 and tube 19 may constitute a unit separate from the hull 1G and adapted to be removed bodily from the hull if desired. Also, if desired, the bottom 11 of the hull may be formed so as to cover or substantially cover the lower end of the sleeve portion 12, rather than having the sleeve portion open at the bottom of the hull, as shown.

The operation of the boat is as follows:

When the toy boat is initially placed in use, the boat may be held generally vertically with the tube 19 extending upwardly and the boat is entirely submerged in water. The water will enter the tube 19 and entirely fill the receptacle 15 and the air which is in this receptacle will bubble out and pass upwardly through the tube 19 and escape through the surface of the water. With the boat still submerged, the same is turned to the horizontal position shown in Figure 3 with the discharge end of the tube 19 still below the water surface, and the water level in the receptacle 15 will now assume its normal operating level near and slightly below the bi-metallic disc 17. There will be no air remaining in the receptacle 15 between the disc 17 and the column of water within the receptacle, due to the above-described bleeding or forcing out of the air in the receptacle 15 when the boat is submerged vertically with the tube 19 extending upwardly below the water level.

The boat floats in the water approximately as indicated in Figure 3, with the water level rising in the receptacle 15 to an elevation near and slightly below the bimetallic disc 17, when the disc is in the upwardly flexed condition. The disc 17 is normally upwardly flexed or convex when in the cool state, such as at room temperature or somewhat below this temperature.

As previously stated, the lens 21 focuses the rays of the sun upon the bi-metallic disc 17 when the disc is in the upwardly flexed or cooled condition. As soon as sufiicient heat has accumulated at the disc 17 and the disc is sufiiciently heated, it will flex or snap downwardly to the depressed concave position shown in full lines in Figures 3 and 4, and this is the normal position of the bi-metallic disc in the hot state. When the disc has flexed downwardly under the influence of the heat concentrated by the lens 21, it will no longer be at the focal point of the lens and the lens is no longer able to focus the rays of the sun intensely upon it for heating the bi-metallic disc. Cooling of the disc 17 will now instantly begin to occur by disc 17 coming into physical contact with the surface water in receptacle 15 which will greatly cool the bi-metallic disc. When this factor has sufficiently cooled the disc 17, the same will flex upwardly to the cool or convex position shown in broken lines in Figure 3. When this occurs, the volume of the receptacle 15 will be increased, and the column of water within the receptacle will rise somewhat. When the heat of the sun causes the disc 17 to flex downwardly, the water columns or fluid piston in receptacle 15 and tube 19 will be forced downwardly and rearwardly, thereby pushing rearwardly against the water outside the boat so as to produce a forward thrust upon the boat to propel the same through the water.

When the disc 17 is again in the upward or convex condition, the lens 21 will function with the rays of the sun to heat the ,disc, and the same will again snap clownwardly, and the cycle of operation will repeat and continue as long as the rays ofthe sun are directed upon the lens 21 and through the lens onto the disc 17. The disc 17 will actually vibrate or flex to and from the water in receptacle 15 as rapidly as several times a second, in the bright sunshine, and as a result of this, a nearly continuous pulsating piston of water will reciprocate rearwardly through the tube 19 for propelling the boat by an oppositely reacting thrust.

The direction of movement of the boat is regulated by bending the terminal portion 20 of the tube 19, as should be obvious. Additionally, the vibratory action of the bimetallic disc 17 will produce a sound somewhat simulating the sound of the exhaust of an internal combustion engine, and this feature further enhances the attractiveness of the toy boat for children.

When disc 17 flexes downwardly into physical contact with the water in chamber 15, a pulse is transmitted through this water and through the column of water in the tube 19, for reaction against the relatively greater mass of water outside of the toy boat. A strong pulsating thrust or reaction is thus imparted to the toy boat and the same is propelled forwardly or opposite to the direction of thrust upon the liquid column in the tube 19 as caused by the downward movement of the disc 17. Since the hull 10 of the boat is much lighter than the surrounding water mass in which it floats, the pulsating watercolumn in the receptacle 15 and tube 19 can readily rep th b a The heat imparted to the water in the receptacle 15 by its contact with the hot disc 17 is readily dissipated by radiation and conduction.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, there is shown a modification of the lens means for directing the suns rays upon the disc 17. In Figure 6, the numeral 24 designates a cluster of small lenses mounted within openings of the rubber grommet 25, corresponding to the grommet 22 in the prior form of the invention. The lenses 24 all have short focal lengths so that each lens will focus the suns rays upon the disc 17 when the same is upwardly flexed. The only difference is that the several lenses 24 will produce a corresponding number of hot spots upon the upwardly flexed disc 17, rather than the single hot spot afforded by the lens 21. The remainder of the construction of the boat and its mode of operation is identical with that shown and described in connection with the first form of the invention.

It is also contemplated to employ in the toy boat a plurality of propulsion units such as shown in Figures 3 4, and including separate lenses 21, discs 17, receptacles 15 and propulsion tubes 19. If this is done, the boat will obviously be propelled with somewhat greater efliciency. In this connection, it is possible to utilize bi-metallic discs 17 in the several propulsion units having different frequencies of vibration under the influence of heat and cold, and this will add to the smoothness and efficiency of the propulsion. A plurality of separate propulsion units employing the clusters of lenses 24 may also be employed in the boat, if preferred.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A toy boat comprising a float body portion, means forming a chamber upon the float body portion adapted to receive water in which the toy floats and including a part formed of materials having different thermal coefficients of expansion and contraction, said part adapted to flex, and a heat concentrating lens mounted upon said float body portion above said chamber for heating the top of said part of the chamber when the part is in one flexed position, heating of said part by the lens causing the part to flex to a second position wherein the lens is not as effective for heating the part and wherein the part is in physical contact with the water in said chamber to be cooled thereby so that the part will return automatically to the first flexed position.

2. A toy solar powered boat or the like comprising a float body portion, means forming a propulsion chamber upon said body portion adapted to contain a column of water, said chamber communicating with the mass of water in which the toy boat floats, one wall of said chamber adapted to flex in response to changes in temperature thereof and being formed of a plurality of materials having difiering thermal coeflicients of expansion and contraction, and a lens mounted near said wall for focusing heat producing light rays upon the wall to heat the wall when the same is in an upwardly flexed position, heating of said wall by the lens causing it to move to a downwardly flexed position where the wall contacts said column of water in the chamber means and causes said column to react against the mass of water within which the toy boat floats for propelling the boat by reactive thrust, the lens being at least partially ineifective to heat said wall while the wall is in said downwardly flexed position and the cooling of the wall through contact with the column of water while in the downwardly flexed position causing the wall to return to the upwardly flexed position for subsequent reheating by said lens.

3. A solar powered toy boat comprising a hull adapted to float, a receptacle mounted upon the hull, a bi-metallic disc covering the top of said receptacle and adapted to vibrate between an elevated convex position and a depressed concave position, a tube connected with said receptacle and extending adjacent the bottom of the hull and normally submerged in the water in which the boat floats so that such water may rise within the receptacle to a level near the disc, and optical lens means mounted upon the top of said hull adjacent the disc for focusing the rays of the sun upon the disc when the latter is in said elevated convex position, heating of the disc in the convex position causing it to shift to the depressed concave position and to contact the water within the receptacle and to be cooled thereby so that the disc will return to the elevated convex position to again be heated by the lens means, the contact of the disc with the water in the receptacle effecting the propelling of the boat in the water in which it floats.

4. A toy boat or the'like according to claim 3, and wherein said optical lens means is a single lens adjustably mounted upon the top of said hull above the bi-metallic disc and movable relative to the disc for properly focusing the rays of the sun upon the disc when the latter is at the elevated convex position.

5. A toy boat or the like according to claim 3, wherein the lens means is a plurality of small lenses mounted upon the top of the hull above said disc for focusing multiple hot spots upon the disc.

6. A toy boat or the like according to claim 3, wherein the top of the hull has an opening arranged above the disc and said lens means comprises a rubber-like grommet secured within said opening, and a single lens adjustably held within said grommet for focusing the rays of the sun upon the disc.

7. A toy boat or the like comprising a float body portion, heat sensitive means including a virbatory bi-metallic element connected with the float body portion and operable to propel the boat in the water, and lens means connected with the boat for concentrating the suns rays upon the top of the vibratory bi-metallic element to actuate the same.

8. A toy boat or the like comprising a float body portion, a propulsion unit mounted upon the float body portion and including a vibratory bi-metallic element, said element adapted to vibrate due to changes in the temperature thereof responsive to temperature diflerences near opposite sides of the same, and lens means mounted upon the float body portion above said element for concentrating the rays of the sun upon the top of the element when the element is in an upwardly flexed position and near the focal point of said lens means.

9. A toy boat comprising a float body portion, movable propulsion means for the boat including a vibratory bi-metallic element mounted upon the float body portion, said element vibrated by a change in temperature thereof caused by heating and cooling media near opposite sides of the same, and lens means mounted upon the float body portion for concentrating heat producing energy rays upon one side of said element in one flexed position of the same, said element being cooled by contact with water in which the boat floats on the other side of the element when the element is in another flexed position.

10. A toy boat or the like comprising a float body portion, a bi-metallic element formed of materials having different thermal coeflicients of expansion and contraction associated with the float body portion and adapted to vibrate in response to changes in temperature thereof, lens means arranged above said element for concentrating the suns heat rays upon the top of said element when the element is upwardly flexed and near the focal point of the lens means, and chamber forming means mounted upon the float body portion below said element and secured to the element and forming therewith a propulsion chamber and adapted to hold a column of liquid with a part of said column positioned for physical contact with the bottom of said element when the element moves to a downwardly flexed position, contact of said element with the column of liquid causing the latter to react against the mass of liquid in which the toy boat is floating to thereby propel the boat upon the mass of liquid, said contact of the element with the column of liquid cooling the element and causing it to return automatically to the upwardly flexed position to receive the concentrated heat rays of the sun.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,596,934 McHugh Aug. 24, 1926 1,933,670 Jones Mar. 5, 1935 2,117,740 Mohr May 17, 1938 2,471,240 Rider May 24, 1949 

